How many afternoons a week do your kids do after school clubs?

[notpodd]

How many afternoons a week do your kids do clubs? Mine (DD1 and DD2, 8 and 5 respectively) do things 3 afternoons a week (ballet, tap and gymnastics) and I recently decided to add Rainbows and Brownies. The girls appear to love all their clubs and were excited at the prospect of doing another thing. However it has been suggested to me by several people that my kids are too busy and need time off too. Lots of my friends' kids only do 1 or at most 2 things a week. It makes me wonder if I'm over-stimulating my kids and doing too much. On the other hand of course, some of my friends' kids do things every day of the week. This makes me "panic" that my kids aren't also playing 3 instruments professionally, speaking 4 languages and preparing to swim the channel. Thought I'd a do a spot poll and see what the might collective wisdom on MN said...

Your ASC are fun, IMO, it's when children are learning a language or doing extra maths that things get tricky.
My almost 11 YO does three AS clubs and one lunch time one.
If your DC are enjoying them as they appear to be you are doing the right thing.

There is no right or wrong but it something a lot of parents seem to get very judgemental about (esp. on Mumsnet ) - you are either doing too many and being a 'Tiger Mom' and rushing your DC from one activity to another or doing nothing and your DC is becoming a couch potato and/or 'doesn't have enough time to be 'a child' - hate that expression.

Personally my DS does a lot - about seven clubs (some at school) - he is an only child and likes to be out and about with other children and is very sporty.
And I don't want him to just sit in front of the TV which seems to be his default activity.

If you think about it - adults are totally different with their 'free' time - some like slobbing out in front of mumsnet the TV and others are busy, going to lots of sports activities, sitting on comittees, just generally more 'active'.

Long winded way of saying whatever suits your child and your lifestyle .

DD 6 and DS 3 do trampolining on a Tuesday and swimming on a Sunday morning, DD also does diving on a Saturday mornng, after Easter they will both go back to tennis on a Monday, may or may not do trampolining. I worl almost full time so what they do depends on times the activities happen.

IMO, if they are eager to go to the activity and enjoy it then don't stop!

My DD who is 5 has swimming lessons, gymnastics and dances. She loves all 3 and is performing well at them and had made new friends through them.

My DS who is 3 swims which he loves once he's in the pool and used to do football. He started moaning about going, kicking up a fuss and spending the lesson having to be cajoled into joining in so I stopped the lessons. My thinking is I don't want to make him do something he hates so will not force him into it and hopefully he'll take it up again when he's older.

If your kids are happily & consistently going then it's not too much for them.

DD has begged offf Guides this evening (grrr). She does activities 2 other afternoons/week, just feeling too tired today.

1-3 clubs/week for other DC, too.

Monday - DS Swimming (2:10pm)
Tuesday - DD1 and DD2 Kong Soo Do (7-7:45pm)
Wednesday - DD1 Brownies (6-7:15pm)
Thursday - DD2 Rainbows (5.30-6.45pm)
Friday - NOTHING (although DD1 doing football after half term)
Saturday AM - DD1 and DD2 swimming (8:45-9:15am)
Sunday PM - DD1 and DD2 Kong Soo Do (1:45-2:45pm)

Non-stop, but good fun!

9y DD:

Monday - LAMDA (drama) 4:15 - 5:15pm, at school
Tuesday - Drama 6:30-7:30pm, outside of school
Tuesday - singling lessons, at school, within school hours
Wednesday - Drama 4:14 - 5:15pm, at school
Thursday - Climbing 4:30-6:30pm, outside of school, every other week

DS (6 - yr2)
mon - gym stars after school - at school
tues - art club at lunch time
wed - radio show after school
thurs eve - swimming
fri - nothing
sat - nothing
sun am - rugby

I wouldn't want to sign him up for anything else & he is happy with what he is doing. The swimming club will finish this school year so am wondering about Beavers then, but we'll see.

Mon: Beavers
Tues: Football club
Wed: Nothing
Thurs: Signed singing followed by Entertainment club
Fri: Gym Club

All are straight after school, except Beavers. We don't anything at weekends!

ds 9

mon football
tue football
wed tutor
sat football
sun football

dd1 7
mon rainbows
wed dancing
thurs football
sat dancing

dd2 4
wed dancing

DD1 (9)
Sun - nothing
Mon - nothing
Tue - drama - at school
Wed - Art
Thur - Violin
Fri - Violin, gymnastics
Sat - Dancing, Orchestra

DD2 (almost 8)
Sun - nothing
Mon - Violin - at school
Tue - nothing
Wed - Violin - at school, & Art
Thur - nothing
Fri - gymnastics
Sat - ballet

Quite mad, I know.

But every time I've tried to persuade them to give up something, it ends in tears. They don't want to give up anything.

Where it catches up on us is all the stuff that needs to be practiced at home.

Violin - almost daily.

Gymnastics conditioning exercises - several times a week
Drama - Prep for LAMDA exams & competitions

I have two rules. You need to complete the term, and if you are not enjoying it give it up after the term ends.

my DDs are 2 and 5; they do nothing as we work full time. DD1 goes to after school club where they do craft, baking,ICT etc after homework and snack.

As someone said you have to do what suits your child and your lifestyle.